Hargrave - William P. - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

                

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Judge William P. HARGRAVE is the son of Rev. Richard H. Hargrave, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church who spent 50 years in the service, 30 of which were in the saddle. The Judge was born at Crawfordsville, Indiana June 1, 1832. His early education was acquired in the Seminary at Crawfordsville and the places where his father was stationed and with such success at age 18, he was engaged in teaching school. He entered Asbury University one year afterward and graduated int he Class of 1854. His aptitude for the classics and general literary taste are still remembered at that institution and he was always selected by its members as their representative in debates or exercises with the other classes. Upon graduating he at once began the study of law in Judge DeBruler's office, Jasper, In. He was also engaged in teaching school and during this time performed the feat of mastering the four volumes of Blackstone. He devoted his entire time to the study of his profession when not teaching working with great diligence form 4 o'clock to 8 in the morning and from 7 till 10 at night. In July and August of that year he attended the first Normal Institute ever held in Southern Indiana and which met at Jeffersonville. He afterwards read law with Hon. Sam Judah, recognized as one of the ablest lawyers at the bar. Judge Hargrave was admitted to practice at Vincennes at age 24. here he obtained in the course of a few years, considerable business and was very successful in his course. He was an ineveterate reader and having access to a large library he improved his opportunity to drink wisdom at the very fountains of the law. In April 1862 he came to Evansville associated with Judge Iglehart and began work under the most favorable auspices. His labors were however interfered with by the war when in August of that year, he enlisted in the army with a Captain's commission in the 91st Indiana remaining till the close of the war. For 3 months during the Fall of '68 he commanded a district in Ky; and was commandant of the Post at Cumberland Gap in the winter of '63-64. Till the close of the war he occupied the position of Commissary of Musters to which he was detached while his regiment was on the way to the front. In the Fall of '65 he returned to his professional duties here. The citizens honored him by electing him to the responsible position of Prosecuting Attorney of the 15th Judicial District. Such has been his success in the discharge of his official duties that he served by the vote of the people for 8 consecutive terms in this capacity. At the organization of the Vanderburgh Criminal Court, he was commissioned as Prosecuting Attorney of the Court and in May 1872 was appointed its Judge and is still in the satisfactory discharge of its duties. Judge Hargrave's ideal practice of the profession is advocacy in all its departments and upon this he has attained his reputation. He is in the enjoyment of good health, notwithstanding his severe mental labors; his physique shows no baneful effects of his sedentary habits. He is very laborious in preparing his evidence and his briefs are condensed and arranged in an invincible manner. The Judge is recognized as one of the foremost in the legal profession but is also a courteous and thorough gentleman and esteemed by all our citizens.  - typed by kbz

                

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